Drop-stake for logging-cars.



H. H. YERK.

DROPSTAKE FOR 4LOGGING CARS.

oo oooooo of@ .Ullllll APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28| 1915- Inlalll Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H. H. YEEK.

DROP STAKE FOR LOGGING CARS.

APPLICATION FILED .001". 28| 1915.

'tint raras rarnnr ernten HENRY H. YERK, OF DAVENORT, IOVU'A, ASSIGNR TO THE BETTENDORF COMPANY, 0F BETTENDORF, IOWA, A CORPORATION OF IOWA.

DBOP-STAKE FOR LOGGING-CARS.

Application led October 28, 1915.

To all 'Lo/wm t may concern:

Be it known that LHENRY H. Ynnn, a citizen of the United States of America. and resident of Davenport, Scott county, Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Drop-Stakes for Logging- Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cars especially adapted to the transporting of logs and the like, and is directed more particularly to the bunk stakes usually employed in cars of this nature, and to the stake operating means whereby the stakes are elevated and locked in operative position or released from opposite sides of the car, and has for its object to provide a stake which while permanently secured to the car and rigidly held in protruding position, to properly function as a load retaining means, yet can be easily and instantly released from its operative position and readily restored to and locked into operative position from the opposite side of "the car, or restored to operative position from either side Of the car.

To this end I have devised a stake of substantially arcuate or crescent form, pivotally connected at one end to the upper and inner side of a hollow bunk near each end thereof, and which by the straightening out of or flexing of toggle link connections can be protruded through the upper surface of the bunk into operative position, or withdrawn into the bunk into release position.

`With these objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features 0f construction and in certain parts and combinations hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l, is a side elevation of a bunk taken on line A-B of Fig. 3, showing mv improved device in operative position, Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken 0n line C. D. of Fig. 3, showing one stake in operative position at one end of a bunk and a stake in release position at the other end, 2F ig. 3 is a top plan view of a bunk showing the center sills of a car frame broken off at each side of the bunk and showing my improved device in dotted and full lines. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of a bunk showing my device in operative position.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, i918.

Serial No. 58,398.

In these drawings in which similar characters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views, I have illustrated the preferred form of my invention, and have shown same as comprising a stake l of arcuate form, one end of which is pivotally connected to the upper part of a hollow bunk 2 on the inner side thereof as at 2 in a manner to permit the other end of the stake to be protruded through a suitable opening 3 in the top of the bunk adjacent to the oint of connection. rl`he stake is preferably of substantially channel form made up of the web portion 4f and sides or flanges 5. Extending inwardly vfrom the sides 5 near the free end of the stake are the bosses 6, between which one end of the link 7 is pivotally connected by the pin 8. Pivotally connected te the lug 9 in the bottom of the bunk by the pins l0 are the links 11-11. The upper end of these links are pivfotally connected by the pin l2 to the link 7 at a point mediate its ends, and engaging opposite sides thereof. The lower end of link 7 is extended downwardlv and inwardly out of the vertical plane of the upper portion, and is pivotally connected to the operating bar 13 by the pin let, the end of the link passing between the bifurcation in the end of the bar. The stakes l which are mounted in each end of the bunk are exact duplicates in form, method of attachment to bunk and mode of operation. They are both provided with the operating bars 13 which extend longitudinally through the bunk, at a suliicient angle to clear the stake at the other end of the bunk. The free end of these bars may be shouldered as at 15, so as to engage the lug l5 rising from the floor of the bunk. lhen the bar is thus engaged by the lug 16, the toggle links 7 and ll are in a substantially vertical position with the bunk stake l protrudel through the top of the bunk in operative position. As the points 8, l2 and 10 are practically in vertical alinement, the bar 13 can easily resist blows or shocks of most any magnitude to which the stakes may be subjected by a falling, swinging' or rolling log.

By having attached bar 13 to the lower inwardly extending end of link 7 the bifurcated end of the bar when in its locked posiwith the stake lying normally in the bottom of the bunk, and with the operating bar 13 attached to the upturned end of link 7, the points A, B, and C cannotlie in the same plane, but as the point C is considerably abo-ve the plane of points B andA, any longitudinal force applied to bar 13 is expended in lifting the stake by the straightening out of the togglev links 7 and 11.

By inserting a bar in the opening 17 formed inthe side of the bunk near each end thereof, the end of bar 13 can be raised or pried upwardly sufliciently to permit the shoulder 15 to clear the lug 16, thereby releasing thebar and permitting the stake 1 to drop back into the bunk by the flexing of the toggleV links 7 and 11. On the dropping of thestake within the bunk, the bar 13 moves longitudinally within the bunk, presenting its free end to the opening 18 in the end of the bunk! The stake may be raised to operative position, either by grasping it directly and lifting it into position, or may be returned to and locked into operative position from the opposite side of the car byinserting a bar through the opening 18, and pushing against the end of bar 13, forcing the shoulder 15 back of lug 16. Thus it is seen that a stake can be released or returned and locked into operative position from the oppositerside of the car, or may be raised and locked into operative position from the side of the car at which it is located, but asv it can be released from the opposite side only, the danger of an operator Y releasing a load upon himself is avoided.

lVhat I claim as new is- 1. In a device ofthe class described, the combination of abunk extending across the car, and having openings at each end in its supper face, a drop stake adapted to extend through said opening above the bunk when Yin operative position, and to be withdrawn into the bunk when in its inoperative position, links arranged between said drop stake, Y

and the Hoor of said bunk adapted to hold said stake in its operative position when said links are in a substantially vertical position,

Y locked and means extending across theV car Within Y the bunk releasably held from movement whereby the said links are locked in said substantially vertical position. j

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a bunk mounted across the car, a stake pivoted to one end of said bunk and extending upward therefrom when in operative position, and a barY secured to said stake above the said pivotal connections, and extending across the car, with its free end against longitudinal movement whereby said stake is held in operative position.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination 'of a bunk extending across the car, of a stake of substantially arcuate form, one 4end'of which is pivotally connected to the inside of the bunk adjacent the upper surface thereof, with the other end free to be projected above the bunk to form the.

stake whenV in operative position, and to be withdrawn into the bunk when in its inoper Y ative position, a toggle link pivotally supported at one end to the'floor of the bunk, and'pivotally secured at the other end to the stake at a point mediate its eiids,'said toggle adapted to be extended for elevating the stake to operative position, and to be vflexed for withdrawing the stake withinV the bunk to inoperative position, and ya bar pivotally secured to the extended end of one of the links passing therefrom across the car within the bunkyan olfsetor shoulder formed in the free end of said bar, a transversely arranged lug in the floor of the bunk adapted to engage the saidshouldered end of said bar whereby the said stake is held in operative position, and means for raising said4 bar out of connection with said lug wherebyV said stake is released from its operative position. 1

Y#L The combination of a bunk extending across the car, a stake pivoted toV the bunk arranged to project above Vthe topV of the bunk as its operating position, and to be withdrawn below the top of the bunk as its non-operating position, a toggle comprising HENRY H. YplilRK.` Y

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of Patenti,V

i Y Y Washington, D. Gy. Y

vlinks pivotally connected together and to 

